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A Swingin' Summer

Saying goodbye to the schedule.

July 16, 2013

Summer is here.  While many are joyous...  it's dull daggers in my retinas.  Summer is HARD STUFF!  I was just talking to my neighbor Amy about this.  It's a bunch of running around and nonsense! Everything backfires too! 

 

When they are supposed to sleep late. 
 They are awake.  
When I wear them out all day, they still find it in their tiny bodies to defy time and gravity by staying UP till all hours!  

CURSE YOU ENDLESS SUNSHINE AND NON WORKING DARKENING SHADES!  

 

It's me.  I haven't worn them out.  This is why. 

 

"I must SCHEDULE myself better!" CRIES me.

  This shall be the BEST summer ever!  What will we DO today!!?  What's NEXT! 

 

IT'S EXHAUSTING. 

 

 

As summer rammed into me I felt the sudden urge to SCHEDULE my children's lives in such a way that my calendar almost bit me back.   

 

I find at times that I am constantly "swinging" as a mother.  Anyone else?  One week I care to keep up with the Mom-Dashians by scheduling play dates, doing my nails and making strawberry shortcake from scratch to share as we chit chat!  

 

In reality, most days, I don't give a hooty toot and prefer to be myself.  Myself is pretty unorganized and laid back.  My nails are always a total mess and there might be moldy strawberries in my fridge.  What kind of SUMMER am I drumming up with this nonsense!   WHAT KIND OF STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE CAN I MAKE WITH MOLDY FRUIT! What kind of MEMORIES will I make!!??

 

What kind of MOTHER am I!??  

 

 

A normal one I think.  

I hope.

Am I?

 

* wince* 


Don't answer. 

 

 I'd fail epically if this were a team sport.  No gold for me!  Don't pick me for your Mom-Dashian Team.  

It's okay. 

I'm good with it.  Tonight I earned the gold medal myself.  No calendar involved. 

 

Tonight my kids and I sat on my deck in the summer warmth.  The radio was on.  Our bellies were full of chocolate chip pancakes. (BRINNER)

 

We made a seashell fairy house because I happened to have stuff there to make it. 

They sat on the swing with me and swung.  My three year old crawled in my lap and rubbed her little tiny nose on mine.  My 6 year old and I looked at a sock puppet book. 

 

It was better than strawberry shortcake.  Better than 56 penciled in activities on the calendar. 

That's what summer is really about?  Detoxing. 

 

 

 This summer I have learned: 

 

The calendar is my enemy. 

My days and activities will not be lined up like dominoes while I smile on proudly at my neatly scheduled summer.  

 

My days will be lazy and I will sit on my swing with my children singing P!nk. 

Yes.  P!nk. 

 

And it will be wonderful.

I'm a realist too.  I KNOW we HAVE to have violin, soccer camp, cheer leading, swimming lessons, piano, day trips, library trips to name a few.  

But how about some "swing time?"



Hope you all have a swingin' summer!